When Do Passkeys Expire?

When Do Passkeys Expire?#

Passkeys generally do not expire, but the accounts that they might be tied to could be impacted by factors like account inactivity, security policies, and device changes. Most systems are designed to keep passkeys valid forever.

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Default Behavior of Passkeys#

• No Fixed Expiration: By default, passkeys do not come with an expiration date. They remain valid as long as the associated public-private key pair is intact and the relying party (the service or app) does not revoke the passkey or the user deletes the passkey locally.
• Dependence on User Activity: The continued validity of a passkey often depends on user activity. If a user is inactive for a long period, the system may require re-authentication as a security measure.

Factors That Can Invalidate Passkeys#

• Device Changes: If a user switches devices or resets their device, they may need to set up a new passkey for the new device.
• Security Updates: Significant updates to the security infrastructure of a platform might lead to passkey invalidation. In such cases, users may be prompted to create a new passkey. However, this is considered very bad practice as the UX is significantly impacted.

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About Corbado

Corbado is the Authentication Intelligence Platform for CIAM teams running consumer authentication at scale. We help you see what IDP logs and generic analytics tools can't: where passkeys, passwords, OTP, social login and fallback journeys succeed, stall or fail, which devices and browsers create friction, and when an OS update silently breaks login. Two products: Corbado Observe layers process mining and observability across authentication journeys. Corbado Connect adds managed passkeys with analytics built in alongside your IDP. VicRoads runs passkeys for 5M+ users with Corbado (+80% passkey activation). Talk to a Passkey Expert →